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Physical Disability

Types of Physical Disability

  • impaired vision, blindness
  • hard of hearing/deaf
  • ambulatory disability
  • chronic illness

Best Practices

  • view the meeting’s theme from a disability perspective;
    • worthwhile to consider how the theme of a meeting is likely to be viewed from a disability perspective
    • Just about any topic is likely to have an important disability dimension – from information and communication technology to gender equality
  • appoint an accessibility chair
    • responsible for ensuring the conference is as welcoming and accessible as possible for all
    • responsible for ensuring that attendee and presenter needs are understood and addressed
    • serve as advocates for attendees with disabilities
    • main communications channel between attendees and the conference organizing committee
  • sending invitations
    • Invitations should be sent far in advance of the meeting to allow for adequate preparation time, and especially when accessibility measures are required for participants with disabilities
    • attach an accessibility request form along with the invitation: provides each participant with the opportunity to make their requirements clear
  • Planning the programme
    • allocate enough time for substantive sessions and breaks during meetings
    • factor in the communication needs of persons with different disabilities: deaf or deafblind persons need sign language or tactile sign language interpreters. Persons using respirators, persons with psychosocial disabilities, and support personnel such as interpreters benefit from having frequent breaks. Wheelchair users might benefit from sufficiently long breaks to travel to and from an accessible bathroom.
  • Venue
    • Is it a very long flight time or complex journey for the average attendee? Some health issues preclude taking very long flights
    • Will telepresence options be available for remote attendees?
    • Are there environmental factors that may be problematic for attendees with health issues? E.g. heavy pollution, high altitudes
    • Special attention should be paid to a venue’s physical features in terms of: space, height, surface materials and gradients: As a rule of thumb, venues that have more space are generally more accessible. Moreover, spacious venues are more practical if additions and modifications are required, such as mobility ramps or additional furniture
    • what modifications may be needed to make the venue and place of accommodation fully accessible
    • Is there accessible public transport from the airport to hotel/venue, and how complex is the journey?
    • Does the hotel/venue adhere to accessibility standards? Even if the venue/hotel claims to meet the appropriate standards, implementation varies widely, so it is still important to ask more detailed questions and visit the site in person wherever possible. Some specific things to check for are listed below.
    • If local public transportation is not accessible, organizers should provide or alert participants to alternative transport
    • Organizers should identify providers of accessible vehicles and book services far in advance of the start of the meeting
    • Is the building wheelchair accessible through the main entrance?
    • Are the elevators accessible? (Ask about tactile buttons, auditory feedback, visual feedback, wheelchair-height controls).
    • How easy is the space to navigate without vision? (e.g. obstacle-free)
    • Are doorways and important routes at least 32 inches wide?
    • Does the venue have Braille labeling, especially in elevators?
    • Does the venue have alternative emergency devices for Deaf and hard of hearing guests?
    • Is the venue free from strong sensory stimuli: smells (smoke, chlorine, perfume); loud areas (piped music, gambling machines); or flashing/bright lights that could be problematic for attendees with sensory sensitivity, or health conditions?
    • Have the venue staff had any disability awareness training?
    • How willing are the venue staff to accommodate special requests?
    • How much walking is required to get between the nearest disabled parking space, the lobby, guest rooms, meeting rooms, nearest restrooms and lunch location? What is the wheelchair route between these locations?
    • Are there accessible restrooms near the meeting rooms, on the same level or with an elevator very near? Is there an automatic door? The accessible stall should accommodate a large power wheelchair.
    • If there is a raised stage in the meeting room, is there a way for a wheelchair user to get to the podium? Are there railings on steps up to the stage?
    • Do the meeting rooms have an induction loop?Will there be room to seat wheelchair users in the meeting sessions?
    • Are there rooms that can be set aside as a mother’s room for breastfeeding/pumping, or a quiet place for an attendee to rest, or a place to decompress?
  • Information
    • Information disseminated both prior to and during the meeting, such as invitation letters, guidance notes about travel arrangements, background papers, websites and videos should be available in accessible formats
    • clear, large-sized fonts are easier to read.
    • Documents that use fewer different fonts are easier to read than those with many
    • Serif fonts such as Times and Times New Roman are considered the most readable for printed materials, whereas for content that is read from a screen, sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Verdana can be clearer
    • every spoken language has its own form of braille
    • braille uses three sheets of paper for every one page in standard print. It is highly recommended that organizers and managers of meeting venues and hotels have their name cards with braille translations on them. It is important for meeting organizers to source braille translations and printing services early in the planning process
    • Many deaf persons and persons who are hard of hearing use sign language as their primary means of communication
    • there is a great diversity of sign languages, each with its own structure and syntax. International Sign (IS) is a dynamic and sophisticated signed communication system that is often used at international meetings
    • In a meeting with participants who communicate using sign language, meeting organizers should identify the specific needs of participants, and make arrangements for the provision of appropriate sign language interpreters
    • Deafblind individuals benefit from the communicative assistance of guide/interpreters: facilitate communication using tactile communication methods, such as Finger Braille, tactile sign language and print on palm, among others
    • Interpreters and guide/interpreters should be allowed regular breaks, meaning that additional interpreters may be needed for rotation — which should ideally take place every 15-20 minutes
    • Real-time captioning refers to simultaneous text transcription of what is said, which is then projected onto screens during a meeting: Real-time captioning can aid understanding not only for deaf persons but also for persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, as well as those who are not proficient in the primary spoken language used in meetings
    • Note taking offers an alternative to captioning, which may better suit meetings with limited budgets

Budgeting

  • If the meeting venue, place of accommodation, transportation and other facilities and services follow the principles of universal design, these costs may be minimal.
  • Guides, interpreters and assistants for persons with disabilities, in addition to accessible materials, facilities and services, may similarly be paid for or subsidized by a combination of the meeting organizers and sponsors, depending on the available budget
  • Organizers may wish to explore the possibility of recruiting volunteers to support different aspects of disability- inclusion. Volunteers can be presented with certificates to recognize their support for the event

Logistics

  • Consider the date and time of your event to minimize barriers related to length of day, number and duration of breaks throughout the event, availability of transportation
  • Designate an Event Access Coordinator on your team
    • Receive, confirm, and track all access requests from participants.
    • Manage and implement accommodations.
    • Communicate accommodations arrangements with participants and staff.
    • Identify assistants who will be available to help with access-related tasks.
    • Coordinate all materials for accessible distribution several days in advance.
    • Request interpreters and captioners at least two weeks in advance.
  • Location Considerations
    • Entrances and elevators
    • Restrooms (accessible, all-gender, and transfer table availability)
    • A refrigerator and microwave for those bringing food
    • Sufficient accessible parking and transportation (eg reserved disabled parking)
    • Audio technology (microphones, listening devices)
    • Temperature control and lighting considerations
    • Quiet spaces
    • Ensure space is large enough.
    • Plan for wheelchair-accessible seating and paths throughout the space.
    • Provide a variety of seating and table options (e.g. table heights, styles, sizes).
    • Confirm emergency protocols and request changes needed for people with disabilities (e.g. elevator use during a fire).
    • Identify other events at the same venue that day and plan to reduce access barriers (e.g. managing noise level).
    • Avoid decorations in pathways, flash/strobe effects, latex balloons, and fog machines.
  • Accessible lodging
  • Accessible nearby restaurants and hours of operation
  • Distribute all materials digitally in advance to all attendees
  • Provide copies in Braille (as requested), large print, and digitally on the event day
  • Check and update all presenters' materials for accessibility
  • Print preferred names on name tags in a large, dark font
  • Consider the color choices and contrast of all materials
  • Ask photographers to not use flash and seek permission before photographing people

Presentation Considerations

  • Checking the order each slide element will be read by a screen reader
  • Including alt text on all images
  • Considering color/contrast choices and avoiding use of flash or strobe effects
  • Remind speakers to:
    • Speak slowly and clearly
    • Always use a microphone
    • Describe images and explain slide content
    • Enable subtitles
  • Adopt a system of communication using color cards, whereby participants can raise a red card to indicate that they have not understood something that has been said, a yellow card to show that the speaker is talking too quickly, and a green card to show that they have understood the content of a speech

Check-in Considerations

  • Post directional signs and station greeters at all entry points, elevators, and stairs
  • Use an inclusive check-in process (consider table height, amount of noise, number of staff, flow of check-in process).
  • Avoid background music
  • Set up clear and spacious paths outside and inside

Facilitation

  • consider the awareness and attitudes of all those involved in a meeting
  • brief organizers, volunteers, journalists, and all concerned personnel at a meeting venue and place of accommodation on fundamental concepts relating to disability and disability-inclusiveness
  • raising awareness on the core issues facing persons with disabilities can help to ensure that meetings are run with disability-inclusion in mind at all levels of its organization

Evaluation

  • accurate picture of the degree to which a meeting has successfully enabled the participation of persons with disabilities
  • some aspects of accessibility and inclusiveness may have been overlooked
  • CRPD itself describes disability as an “evolving concept”
  • a straightforward evaluation form that is completed by all participants at the end of a meeting can be sufficient to attain a great deal of feedback and suggestions to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of future meetings

Barriers

  • Going to a two-day conference might require five days of recovery time: longer, perhaps, if the conference food contained gluten and the academic is intolerant to it
  • Lack of access to adjustments
  • Academics with mobility issues, including those who use wheelchairs, reported difficulty ascertaining accurate information about the accessibility of conference venues, for example, steps leading into a main theatre rather than a ramp
  • Inadequate toilet facilities which are close to the venue and accessible
  • Difficulties with long days
  • Conferences can also be a stressful, distressing and exhausting experience, particularly for disabled academics
  • Is the location within easy of the closest airport?
  • Are there wheelchair accessible hotels nearby?
  • Finance to support a carer’s attendance or to hire a motorised wheelchair
  • “Once inside it was clear that the lecture halls were not wheelchair accessible”
  • Anne (wheelchair user) said she was unable to fully take part in informal research discussions as she had missed the sessions with her project team.
  • Attending the conference dinner is a key part of the conference experience, but for some academics it isn’t an option. Conferences may start at 8am, going through to 6pm, by which time disabled academics can be too tired to continue working at the conference dinner
  • Alison, a researcher with a neurological disorder that is partially managed through a strict diet, has to miss conference dinners, returning to her self-catering accommodation to prepare food
  • inaccessibility or lack of availability of bathroom facilities, which were reported to be a significant barrier to conference participation
  • Fatigue is one of the other primary barriers for disabled academics attending conferences
  • End of day socialising was impossible, with researchers returning to their rooms to sleep
  • need to take time off work after a conference to recover
  • “For others, it emerges from the extra effort exerted to “perform” the role of the “ideal academic”, who is excellent at teaching, research and administrative tasks. This academic exemplar, my interviewees told me, has no accessibility needs, can switch topics quickly, can teach for six hours without a break, can eat anything and can read, write, publish, research, teach and use a computer without assistance. The ideal academic can climb stairs, use standard toilets and parking spaces, can stand at doorways and chat with colleagues and can travel anywhere at any time. In short, the ideal academic does not have a body.” (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/disability-campus-challenges-faced-and-change-needed)

General Considerations

  • Disability is not always obvious
    • It can be hidden or can fluctuate
  • “The slogan, “Nothing About Us Without Us” has become a popular byword for the importance of persons with disabilities acting as decision-makers over all aspects of their lives.” https://repository.unescap.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12870/80/ESCAP-2015-MN-Disability-inclusive-meetings.pdf?sequence=1
  • ~1/6-1/5 of people have a physical disability
  • “The term ‘disability-inclusive meeting’ is used here to denote meetings that are inclusive of disability perspectives at both the thematic and participatory levels. This means that, regardless of whether a meeting’s theme strictly refers to ‘disability’ per se, the perspective of individuals with disabilities is incorporated into the subject of discussion. At the logistical level, disability-inclusive meetings promote the removal of all barriers to the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities.”
  • Disability: “The CRPD states that disability is a result of the intersection of impairments with environmental, legal, informational and attitudinal barriers.”
  • Societal interventions to create a barrier-free society
  • Most of the barriers in the way of the participation of persons with disabilities in meetings are man-made; the positive implication of this recognition is that the very same barriers can be removed
  • There exists a great spectrum of disabilities
  • Some persons with physical disabilities use wheelchairs, crutches and other mobility aids as a result of a reduction in the function of their limbs and other body parts.
  • Persons with visual disabilities include those who are blind and those with varying degrees of partial sightedness. Persons with hearing disabilities include those who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing
  • Persons with intellectual disabilities include those who have difficulties with cognition and intellectual functioning.
  • Persons with psychosocial disabilities, meanwhile, face challenges in their mental and emotional functioning in relation to their surroundings.
  • Persons with developmental disabilities include those who experience difficulties in learning, just one example of which is autism.
  • Accessibility is the degree to which both the physical environment and information can be used or accessed by as wide a group of people as possible.
  • As such, accessible physical environments or information services are those that can be used or accessed by all individuals, irrespective of any disability they may have.
  • four key areas where the concept of accessibility is vital: the physical environment; transportation; information and communications, and other facilities and services open to the public
  • universal design as “the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design”
  • Universal design recognizes the common needs shared by persons with and without disabilities
  • accommodation part of the term refers to the legal responsibility of duty bearers to provide accessible physical and informational environments, facilities and services for persons with diverse disabilities. The reasonable aspect, meanwhile, emphasizes that such measures should enable the fulfilment of rights without requiring excessive cost, or burden to duty bearers
  • Evaluate meetings via feedback from participants. This evaluation process can prove instrumental in establishing good practices and allowing for lessons learned to be incorporated into the planning of future meetings.

Sample form

References